Concrete pavement laying machine with grooving mechanism



y 23, 1953 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3,

CONCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE WITH GROOVING MECHANISM Filed May 9. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS P. M. 6102 Zen M if Farley BY 514229 6940M ATTORNEYS y 6 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3,098,413

CONCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE WITH GROOVING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1960 y 1963 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3,

CONCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE WITH GROOVING MECHANISM Filed May 9, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 23, 1963 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3,098,413

CONCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE WITH GROOVING MECHANISM Filed May 9, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ail 3" 9 8,4 l3 Patented July 23, 1963 3,098,413 CGNCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE WITH GRGGVING MECHANESM Ronald M. Guntert and Wilbur F. Earley, Stockton,

Califi, assignors to Guntert & Zimmerman Const. Dim,

Inc, Stockton, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,583 15 Claims. (Ci. 94-39) This invention relates to concrete slab or pavement laying machines, such as that shown in our United States Patent No. 2,864,452, and which are designed to lay concrete in the form of a Wide and continuous strip or slab as the machine advances.

It is necessary, or at least advisable and highly desirable, that such slab or strip shall be scored or grooved both transversely and lengthwise, and While the concrete is still green, in order to prevent the later haphazard cracking thereof, such as is seen in unscored slabs.

It is therefore the major object of our invention to provide concrete grooving devices, mounted on the machine, and functioning automatically as the machine advances, to form a longitudinal groove in the concrete and also transversely extending grooves in the strip or slab at intervals in the length thereof, and extending the full width of the slab.

In connection with the forming of the transverse grooves, a further object of the invention is to so mount, and to control the operation of, the transverse groove forming blade that such blade will be forced into the concrete from a normally raised position located at a predetermined point in the length of the machine, maintained in the concrete for a time sufficient to enable the blade to perfectly form the groove while the machine continues its advance, and then raised out of the concrete and returned to its initial position on the machine ready for a subsequent groove forming operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatically functioning means on the machine to fill each such formed groove with non-bonding mortar, so that the concrete, after the passage of the machine thereover, pre sents a smooth and finished appearance.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical, reliable, and durable concrete pavement laying machine with grooving mechanism, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a pavement laying machine equipped with the longitudinal and transverse pavement grooving devices.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the transverse grooving blade in its forward and raised position.

FIG. 3 is a similar view, showing said grooving blade in its rearmost and lowered position.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view, showing one of the longitudinal-movement control cylinders of the transverse grooving blade in section.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse section on line 66 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation on line '77 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of the transverse blade operating mechanism and the control circuit therefor.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and

to the characters of reference marked thereon, the pavement laying machine, indicated generally at 1, and to which the pavement grooving devices of this application are applied, is a self-propelled structure generally of the type shown in our Patent No. 2,864,452, with additional features as shown in our copending application, Serial No. 15,871, filed Mar. 18, 1960.

Such machine comprises a frame F which includes a plurality of longitudinal, transversely spaced frame beams 2, disposed relatively close to the road or pavement base, as shown in FIG. 2. At the front end of the machine, a concrete-aggregate feeding hopper 3 is mounted, which delivers onto the ground under a reanwardly extending smoothing pan 4 mounted on the machine below beams 2, and as shown in said copending application, Serial No. 15,871, filed Mar. 18, 1960.

A transverse pavement grooving blade 5 is disposed behind and relatively close to the pan 4, as shown; this blade extending transversely of the machine substantially the full distance between the concrete confining headers 6, as shown in FIG. 1.

The blade 5 is preferably of T-form in section for the sake of stiffness, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and relatively close to its ends the blade is connected to upstanding piston rods 7, which are a part of and depend from hydraulic rams 8.

These rams are secured against one side of carriages 9 which straddle the adjacent frame beams 2 and which are mounted on said beams for movement along the same by means of carriage-supported rollers 10 grooved to engage rails 11 secured on the upper and lower faces of said beams 2, as shown in FIG. 4.

It may be noted that in very wide machines, intermediate carriages 9a, supported from other ones of the beams 2., are connected to the blade 5 by rod and cylinder units which are of the same construction as the rams 8, but are merely guides and are not energized or activated. The carriages 9 and 9a are connected as a unit by a rigid transverse angle beam 12.

Projecting laterally from and rigid with each carriage 9 on the side thereof opposite the related ram 8 is a bracket 13, which is engaged by the forward end of a piston rod 14 projecting from the forward end of a compressed air cylinder =15' secured against the side of the related beam 2.

The piston .16 on the rod 14 limits the forward movement of the latter, and to which forward position said rod is normally urged by a compression spring 17 in the cylinder 15, as shown in FIG. 5.

A trailing pan 18, having an upward slope 19 at its forward end, extends rearwardly from adjacent the point of the rearward limit of movement of the blades '5 as shown in FIG. 3; the pan 18 extending transversely of the machine for the full Width between the headers 6.

The pan 18 is connected in draft relation with the machine 1 by longitudinal beams, one of which is shown at 20. These beams are pivoted at their forward ends on the machine 1 at the rear of the pan 4, as shown at 21, and at their rear ends on the pan 18 intermediate its ends, as at 22. An adjustable vertical bolt 23 connects the pan 18, ahead of the pivot 22, with the beam 20 so that the pan may be set at a true level.

At various points in its width the pan 18 is connected at its rear end to a transverse frame-supported winch shaft 24 directly above the rear end of the pan by means of hoist cables 25 arranged to wrap around the shaft upon rotation thereof in a certain direction; reverse rotation of the shaft being prevented by a releasable pawl and ratchet unit 26 associated therewith. In this manner, the pan 18 may be readily raised from engagement with the concrete C when desired; the pan swinging about the beam pivots 21 as an axis.

A longitudinally extending groving blade 27 is disposed centrally of the width of the machine directly back of the pan 13, and is supported from the frame F of the machine by means of rigid front and rear diverging arms 28, as clearly shown in FIG. 6. This blade is set so as to penetrate the concrete to a definite and fixed depth, so as to form a longitudinal central groove 29 in the concrete as the machine advances.

In order to laterally divert any relatively large stones or rocks in the concrete as it is initially fed under the pan 4 from the path of the groving blade 27, a centrally positioned divider blade 30, alined with blade 27 is fixed on the pan 4 at its forward end, depending below the pan to a depth approaching that of said blade 27, as shown in FIG. 2.

To provide a puddling action while the grooves are being formed, air-operated vibrator units 3 1, of a suitable type, are mounted on the blade 5, while a similar unit 31a is mounted on the blade 27.

To control the operation of the transverse grooving blade as the machine advances, the following arrangement is provided:

Disposed laterally out from one of the headers 6 is a cart 32, having a single wheel 33 riding on the ground or concrete clear of that being poured. This cart is mounted in trailing relation to the machine; being pivotally connected to the frame F of the machine for swivel movement in a vertical plane, as shown at 34.

Pivotally mounted on the cart ahead of wheel 33 is a relatively large-diameter sprocket disc 35 connected in driving relation to wheel 33 by a chain 36 passing about sprocket 35 and a small sprocket 37 on the wheel. Since the machine 1 travels very slowly the wheel 33 turns slowly also, and the sprocket disc 35 of course turns many times more slowly.

A platform 38 is mounted on the cart; said platform supporting a single-pole switch unit 39 to one side of the disc 35, and a double-pole or dual switch unit 40 to the other side of the disc; both switch units being well ahead of the pivot of the disc 85, as clearly shown. These switch units are a standard form of micro-switch, and unit 39 includes a movable actuating finger 41, while unit 40 includes a similar finger 42; the fingers extending in facing relation to each other on opposite sides of disc 35, as shown in FIG. 8.

Mounted on the disc 35 in circumferentially spaced relation are cross pins 43, each in turn positioned on the disc to engage and move the fingers in a switch actuating direction upon rotation of disc 35.

Unit 39 includes a normally open switch 44 interposed in a circuit 45 leading to a solenoid 46; the spring retracted core 46a of which is connected to a valve 47. This valve is interposed in a compressed air line 48 leading to the head end of the cylinders 15, and also to the vibrators 31, as shown at FIG. 8. When the solenoid is inactive or deenergized, the valve 47 is moved by a spring 49 to a position such that it opens the air line 48 to atmosphere so that air will then exhaust from the cylinders 15. When the solenoid 46 is energized by the closing a switch 44, the valve 47 is moved to establish a pressure flow of air through the line 48 to the cylinders 15; retracting the piston rod 14 thereof, for the purpose later set forth.

The switch unit 40 includes dual switches 49 and 50 connected together so that when switch 49 is open, switch 50 is closed and vice versa. Switch 49, which is normally open, is interposed in a circuit 51 connected to a solenoid 52. Switch 50, which is normally closed, is interposed in a circuit 53, which is included in part with circuit 51 connected to a solenoid 54. The movable cores 55 are connected together as a unit and to the actuating element 56 of a four-way valve 57, which is interposed in a hydraulic pressure conduit system 58 in which the rams 8 are interposed in parallel.

When solenoid 52 is deenergized and the solenoid 54 is energized, and which is their normal condition, the valve 57 is positioned so that hydraulic fluid is fed to the lower ends of rams 3, holding the piston rods 7 thereof raised, while fluid is exhausted from the upper ends of the rams, as shown in FIG. 8. When the solenoid 52 is energized and the solenoid 54 is deenergized, the valve 57 is reversed in position so that fluid is fed to the upper ends of the rams 8 to lower the piston rods 7, and is exhausted from the lower ends of the rams.

In operation, as the machine I slowly advances over the poured and pan-smoothed concrete, the accompanying rotation of the cart wheel 33 and the disc 35 driven thereby sooner or later causes one of the pins 43 to engage the switch-unit fingers 41 and 42 and thus actuate or move the corresponding switches of the switch units 39 and 40 from their normal positions. This will cause fluid to be fed into the top of rams 8, as previously described, and the grooving blade 5 will be lowered and pressed into the concrete C, forming the desired transverse groove G therein.

At the same time, compressed air is being fed into the head end of the cylinders 15, retracting the piston rods 14 from the brackets 13 of the carriages 9 on which the rams 8 are mounted. In doing this, it will be noted that the springs 17 will become somewhat heavily compressed.

This retraction of the piston rods 14 is necessary for the reason that as soon as the blade 5 enters the concrete, which is still in a green and only partially set condition, said blade must remain stationary with the concrete for some time, and be free for relative rearward movement along beams 2 of the machine, the slow forward travel of which is never halted. This stationary condition, which is necessary to enable the blade 5 to make a. wellformed groove, is made possible by reason of the extremely slow rotary movement of the disc 35, which causes the cross pin 43 thereon to remain in engagement with the switch unit fingers for some time before passing by and releasing said fingers.

During this time air is being fed to the vibrators 31 so that the blade 5 effectively puddles the concrete along the groove.

As soon as the switch control fingers 41 and 42 are released, the switches return to their original or normal positions. The hydraulic pressure is then fed into the lower end of the rams to lift the blade out of the groove G.

The air is then released from the cylinders 15, allowing the springs 17 to advance the piston rods 14 against the brackets 13, and push the carriages 9 forwardly, ready for the next groove-forming action of the blade 5. The fingers 41 and 42 are set relative to the actuating pin 43 so that finger 41, which controls the air flow, will be released only after the finger 42 has been released, so that the blade is definitely lifted clear of the concrete before any forward movement is imparted to the carriages.

After the formed groove G is thus exposed, it is filled by the fine surface mortar 59 of the concrete which becomes confined under the forward sloping end 19 of the pan 13 and pushed ahead by the advance thereof.

Similarly, the longitudinal groove 29 is ultimately filled in with surface mortar scraped up by the action of a trailing float structure (not shown), and which is attached to the rear end of the machine 1, as shown in our copending application, Serial No. 15,872, filed March 18, 1960.

Such motor however does not bond with the main body of concrete, so that the function of the grooves is not aflfected.

In connection with the air operated vibrators, those mounted on the blade 5 only function while said blade is in the concrete, while the one mounted on the blade 27 functions continuously, since said blade rides permanently in the concrete as long as the machine is operating. At the same time of course, said blade 27 is mounted in connection with the arms 28 so that it may be withdrawn from the concrete at any time its use is not desired, at which time operation of the vibrator 31a thereon is discontinued.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance, a transverse concrete grooving blade, means mounting the blade on the machine for vertical movement and including two-way hydraulic rams to force the blade into the concrete from a predetermined raised position and to then raise the blade from the concrete back to such position, a fluid pressure system in which the rams are interposed, a four-way valve in said system, and means connected to and actuated by forward movement of the machine to actuate the valve.

2. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance extending transversely of the direction of advance of the machine, a concrete grooving blade, means mounting the blade on the machine for vertical movement and including carriages slidably mounted on the machine for movement lengthwise thereof a predetermined distance, blade lowering and raising devices connected thereto and mounted on the carriages, and means connected to the machine and to said devices to actuate the same in timed relation to and by reason of the advance of the machine and functioning to cause the blade to be depressed into the concrete from a raised position when the carriages are disposed at a relatively forward point lengthwise of the machine and to be again raised upon the advance of the machine a distance corresponding to the distance the carriages have moved rearwardly on the machine with such advance.

3. A structure, as in claim 2, with means on the ma chine and acting on the carriages to return the carriages to said forward point after the blade is thus raised out of the concrete, and means included in part with the first named means to actuate the last named means upon further advance of the machine.

4. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance, a concrete grooving blade extending transversely of the direction of advance of the machine, means mounting the blade on the machine for vertical movement and including carriages slidably mounted on the machine for movement lengthwise thereof a predetermined distance, blade lowering and raising devices connected thereto and mounted on the carriages, means connected to the machine and to said devices to actuate the same in timed relation to and by reason of the advance of the machine and functioning to cause the blade to be depressed into the concrete from a raised position when the carriages are disposed at a relatively forward point lengthwise of the machine and to he again raised upon the advance of the machine a distance corresponding to the distance the carriages have moved rearwardly on the machine with such advance, and means on the machine and acting on the carriages to return the carriages to said forward point after the blade is thus raised out of the concrete; said means including spring-advanced rods mounted parallel to the path of travel of the carriages and engaging the same from the rear to advance the carriages to said forward point.

5. A structure, as in claim 4, with means acting on the rods to move the same rearwardly and away from the carriages immediately subsequent to the initial depression of the blade into the concrete whereby to allow of unred strained rearward movement of the carriages on the machine.

6. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance, a transverse concrete grooving blade, means mounting the blade on the machine for vertical movement and including devices to home the blade into the concrete from a normally raised position and to then return the blade to such position, said devices including two-way hydraulic rams, a hydraulic fluid-pressure system connected to the rams, a four-way valve interposed in the system to enable fluid to the fed into the rams at opposite ends thereof alternately and normally set in one position such that the rams will act to hold the blade in a raised position, an electric system connected to the valve to actuate the same, and means connected to the machine and acting on the electric system to thus actuate the valve upon advance of the machine and move the valve from said one position to another position such that the rams then act to press the blade into the concrete, to hold the valve in said other position during a predetermined extent of advance of the machine, and to then return the valve to said one position.

7. A structure, as in claim 6, in which the last named means comprises a switch unit in the electric system, a cart connected to the machine in draft relation and including a ground engaging wheel, means mounting the switch unit on the cart, a disc turnably mounted on the cart, means to drive the disc from the wheel, an element fixed on and projecting from the disc, and an exposed operating member for the switch unit mounted thereon and projecting into the path of movement of said element so that said member will be engaged and moved by the element upon rotation of the disc.

8. A structure, as in claim 7, in which the disc is driven from the wheel at a greatly reduced speed relative to that of the wheel.

9. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance and which includes longitudinal frame beams, a transverse concrete-grooving blade under the beams, vertical rams including cylinders and depending rods, the rods being connected to the blade to lower and raise the same, means to control the actuation of the rams, carriages slidably mounted on the beams and on which carriages the ram cylinders are mounted whereby after the blade is engaged in the concrete with the carriages then disposed in a predetermined forward position on the beams, said blade may remain so engaged while the machine advances a certain distance and the carriages remain stationary, means acting on the control means and functioning to withdraw the blade from the concrete when the machine has moved said distance, and pressure means mounted on the machine and engaging the carriages to then return the same to said predetermined position.

10. In a machine for laying concrete pavement, the machine having means for moving the same in a forward direction, the combination comprising: a groove forming blade, means mounting said groove forming blade upon said machine transverse to the direction of forward machine movement, means included with said mounting means allowing for vertical and horizontal reciprocation of said groove forming blade, and separate instrumentalities connected to the machine for selectively actuating said included means to effectuate a systematic vertical and horizontal reciprocation of said groove forming blade as said machine is advanced.

111. In a concrete pavement laying machine having means to advance the same in a forward direction, a transverse conorete grooving blade initially in a position clear of the concrete and disposed in a predetermined position lengthwise of the machine, means mounting the blade on the machine for independent vertical and horizontal reciprocation from said initial position, power means on the machine functioning with forward movement thereof to lower the blade into the concrete from said initial position to hold the blade lowered during a predetermined extent of advance of the machine whereby the blade and its mounting means will be shifted rearwardly on the machine from said initial position, and to then raise the blade to its initial position, and other means on the machine engaging the blade mounting means to advance the same and the blade when raised to said initial position.

12. A structure, as in claim 11, with means acting on the last named means to render the same inoperative while the machine is advancing relative to the blade.

13. In a concrete pavement laying machine having means to advance the same in a forward direction, a transverse concrete grooving blade, a blade supporting unit, means mounting the unit on the machine for reciprocating horizontal movement rearwardly from a predetermined position thereon, the unit including vertically reciprocable members connected to the blade and normally holding said blade at a level clear of the concrete, instrumentalities functioning in sequence as the machine advances to lower the blade into the concrete, to hold the blade so lowered while the machine advances a predetermined distance relative to the unit and the latter moves rearwardly on the machine a corresponding distance, to raise the blade to said level, and separate means to then return the supponting unit to said predetermined position.

14. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous movement in a forward direction, a transverse concrete grooving blade, means mounting the blade on the machine, said mounting means including a power device to move .the blade vertically, and supporting means for the power device mounted on the machine and arranged to allow of horizontal reciprocating movement of said power device, with the blade, lengthwise of the machine; power means to control the movement of said device in a forward direction only while allowing of unrestrained movement thereof rearwardly, and means connected to the machine and moving therewith, said last named means including instrumentalities to control the functioning of said device and the power means in a predetermined timed sequence as the machine moves forwardly.

15. In a concrete pavement laying machine adapted for continuous advance, a concrete grooving blade extending transversely of the direction of advance of the machine, means mounting the blade on the machine for vertical movement and including a carriage slidably mounted on the machine for movement lengthwise thereof a predetermined distance, blade lowering and raising devices connected thereto and mounted on the carriage, and means connected .to the machine and to said devices to actuate the same in timed relation to and by reason of the advance of the machine and functioning to cause the blade to be depressed into the concrete from a raised position when the carriage is disposed at a relatively forward point lengthwise of the machine and to be again raised upon the advance of the machine a distance corresponding to the distance the carriage has moved rearwardly on the machine with such advance.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,387 He'ltzel Nov. 27, 1934 2,084,068 Vinton June 15, 1937 2,587,321 Hohnke et a1 Feb. 26, 1952 2,644,378 Nelson July 7, 1953 2,663,231 Wood Dec. 22, 1953 2,845,851 Nagin Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 501,786 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1939 1,185,059 France Feb. 9, 1959 

1. IN A CONCRETE PAVEMENT LAYING MACHINE ADAPTED FOR CONTINUOUS ADVANCE, A TRANSVERSE CONCRETE GROOVING BLADE, MEANS MOUNTING THE BLADE ON THE MACHINE FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT AND INCLUDING TWO-WAY HYDRAULIC RAMS TO FORCE THE BLADE INTO THE CONCRETE FROM A PREDETERMINED RAISED POSITION AND TO THEN RAISE THE BLADE FROM THE CONCRETE BACK TO SUCH POSITION, A FLUID PRESSURE SYSTEM IN WHICH 